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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24710779">Fermented Vinegar</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pluv_iophile/pseuds/Pluv_iophile'>Pluv_iophile</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aang Dies but Its okay, BAMF Aang, Comics What Comics, Dragon Aang, Dragon Zuko, Gen, My First Work in This Fandom, Other, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Soul Bond, Tenzin the glider shatterer, Time Travel, blame Korra, but thats a given seeing as he is the avatar, buy one aang get another free!, fermented vinegar, ill add more tags as I go, ill edit later - Freeform, only watched season one of TLoK, spirit realm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 11:00:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,910</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24710779</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pluv_iophile/pseuds/Pluv_iophile</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They said fate bound them together. He was bound to always chase the Avatar and he was always meant to run away. But what if the Dancing Dragon was more than just a fire-bending technique? What if it was a means to bind two people in a union of strength and compatibility? </p><p>or</p><p>Aang spends his whole life running until fate literally puts him back right where he started.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>183</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Of Heat and Pain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Aang stared into the dark cave shivering in fear at the light breeze that carried forward a scent of ash and desperation. His heart, like the wavering minuscule blaze in his hands grew smaller and smaller, compressed by the cold tendrils of cold fear. A horn sounded in the distance and the cave started to tremble and fall apart not unlike his brave front. He turned to face Zuko on an impulse, a reflex instilled in him from previous conflicts that made him need to be aware of his comrades and allies in times of danger. His heart calmed down when he noticed how calm Zuko seemed with his head lowered in a submissive bow. His arms held out in front of him offering the inky darkness of the cave the large flame that burns brightly in his cupped hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned back to face the dark cave in front of him and returned his hands back to their previous position. He calmed his mind and everything returned to the way it had before. Aang jumped up and turned back to face Zuko’s back. “Zuko!” he cried out, “ My fire’s gone out!” he made a desperate grab for the taller boy’s robe. “ What do you want me to do?” he responded shoving Aang away. “ Gimme some of yours!” replied Aang jumping right back onto Zuko. He reached around Zuko’s arms and swatted at the flame but missed it by a few inches. Well… if you can’t go around an obstacle just go around it right? So he withdrew his arms and shoved them under Zuko’s arms and almost reached towards the bright flame that he held in his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The older boy stiffened in his arms and Aang took his chances and made one final attempt towards the slightly larger flame in front of him. The wind howled from both in front and behind the two boys as they stared in shock at the empty palms of Zuko terrified at what was to come. Like confetti streamers, two dragons, one red and the other blue raced towards the center of the connecting bridge daring the other to turn away or crash into one another. They swirled around in the air dancing to a song only heard by the spirits who listen to things they shouldn't. Aang starred at the two blurred streaks of fiery red and powerful blue in awe as raw need and power encompassed his limbs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His pulse matched along with the sudden and erratic movements of the dragons as if they moved according to the beat of his very core. Beat? Dance? Dragon? He whirled around to face Zuko and tugged on his sleeve, “Zuko, I think we’re supposed to do the dragon dance with them” he told the boy. Zuko turned to stare at him and scoffed, “ What? What about this situation makes you think they want us to dance?” he asked. “ Well I think they want us to do something” retorted Aang. The taller boy shrugged and turned back to face the cave on his side of the bridge. With only the beat of their steadying hearts to keep them in sync and the hope that the dragons wouldn’t prematurely roast them to perfection for an afternoon meal they took up the first of six stances. Almost instantly upon taking up the first stance, heat flooded Aang's limbs as they moved on their own, matching up perfectly with Zuko’s stances.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Together they reached the climax of their dance as they connected fists and heralded the sun and its mighty power. The dragons ceased their hypnotic dance and released a burning inferno of colors and power. At once their entire world became a swirl of reds, blues, greens, purples and other shades of colors that popped into Aang’s head. The barely restrained power that threatened to drag Aang under drowned out all reason as he stared off. He could hear in the distance Zuko’s cry of understanding but his mind was ensnared by warmth, power, and pain. He wrenched his eyes away from the light show in front of him and turned to stare at his ally only to be dragged under by the warmth and power that seemed to have amplified. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stared at Zuko and took all of him in. His shaggy hair, his sharp phoenix eyes, and strong brows, his signature scar, and high bridged nose all burned into Aang’s mind as the warmth and strength in his body reached their crescendo. At that moment, Aang knew, his soul was no longer his own just like his power. Everything came into painful focus as a long strand of fire seared itself into his back curving around and weaving into his air bender tattoos. Then the fire ceased on burning and eventually receded into nothingness. Aang fought the urge to fall to his knees as the warmth and power abandoned him. His back stung as rivulets of blood attempted to roll down his back. He quickly turned around to face Zuko and the crowd that gathered at the base of the stairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He must have responded to a few questions however he did not remember what, all he could think about on their walk back to Appa was the sheer pain in his back and blood so thick it took years to roll in the direction of gravity. Maybe it wasn’t even blood, maybe it was pain in liquid form. Aang gritted his teeth and imagined Katara’s cool healing hands. Bliss utter bliss, or at least it would be. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take Appa long to reach the air temple, but then again Aang probably lost consciousness a few times on the way back to the others. He nearly melted into goo when he caught sight of Katara, it didn't take too much persuasion to drag her off to some section of the temple where they wouldn’t be disturbed. “Aang!” she spoke again, or maybe it was the first time, he turned away from her to ponder his new crisis. “Aang! Your back!” she cried out with the same urgency in her voice.  Aang could recognize that urgency, so maybe it was a few times that she had called out to him. His vision grew dim and he could hear himself mutter “ Don’t tell anyone” and suddenly the ground rose to meet him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>=</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The moment Katara put her hands on his back he jumped up with a yelp. His breathing grew ragged and his pupils dilated into pinpricks. “Aang…” Katara started, slowly circling him with her glowing water blobs for hands. “J-Just give me a second Katara” he started, clenching his eyes and fists shut. “ Aang…: she started, “ Just a second… please” he pleaded. She sighed and nodded. He let out a breath and tried to breathe past the pain when suddenly he felt freezing hands on his back. He couldn’t hold back the blood-curdling screech that ran past his lips as his vision grew too bright to make out anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sobbed as his bones broke themselves and realigned themselves extending his body into a longer shape. He could hear her gasps of fear and her desperate attempts to get away. His skin itched and burned as scales and feathers popped out and overtook his very sensitive skin. In desperate attempts to get more oxygen to his lungs, he let out a frightening roar causing a section of the wall to collapse. On stupid impulse, he dragged his battered and tubelike body through the wall and jumped straight into the abyss below the temple.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Of Myths and Mirrors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>-</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took a minute or two for Aang’s airbending to kick in. In those minutes, however, Aang quickly learned how to close his muzzle shut after swallowing a few flies. The weightless feeling of falling was one way too familiar for Aang to fear. He twisted and turned as his pain turned to pure ecstasy and adrenaline. He almost didn’t notice the change in pressure and temperature as his vision grew brighter and the spirit world engulfed him. </p><p>He streamed past the meditating monkey and sped past the humble abode of Koh the Face Stealer. Aang raced towards the never-ending sky and allowed gravity to pull him down once again. Just like a red streamer, Aang maneuvered his body to twist and turn to avoid the trees and the ground. He turned to look back up at the sky and like a rogue lightning bolt he shot up towards the sun in a desperate attempt to catch it in his jaws. Maybe this form could take him higher than his human form.</p><p>Engulfed in bubbling joy, he let out an earth trembling roar that released beautiful brightly colored flames. The sun looked down in envious displeasure as Aang roared in laughter releasing colorful flames from time to time. Aang shook himself out of his pleasure induced high and prepared to land in some sort clearing. He flew over the forest that made up the entrance of the spirit realm and his eyes quickly caught sight of a clearing within the ocean of trees, Aang angled his body and shot towards the clearing like an ice dagger that he had always seen Katara use. Only when he was too close to the ground for comfort did Aang ask himself how exactly he was going to land safely.</p><p>He rammed into the ground carving a large ditch longer than his body and let out a pained groan. Aang laid on the cooling ground panting and still as he once again tried to attempt breathing his pain away. He let out a slow whine as he felt the adrenaline leave him and carry with it the power that fueled his limbs. In another gruesome change of breaking bones and agonized screams, Aang laid on the ground in his bloodied human form. </p><p>As the sun rose and bathed Aang in all of its warm light, he didn’t dare move for fear of aggravating his wounds further. It was hard to stay awake when his back was cradled by soft cool earth and his face was covered with warm bright rays of light that made it hard to keep his eyes open. It seemed like a good idea… to sleep in unprotected foreign lands, It’s not like Aang hadn’t done so before. Plus he could probably sleep still and avoid messing with his wounds for a good period of time.</p><p>So Aang slept deeply and left his worries and sufferings on the surface while his mind went flying with the Sky Bison of his time. He didn’t rouse even when arms picked him up and carried him away on a dragon almost identical to Aang. </p><p>=</p><p>Quite honestly, Roku was surprised to see Fang playing around in the air. His bonded dragon rarely indulged himself in such activities without Roku on his back. He smiled fondly as he recalled a younger Fang that grew up teething on his arm and any wood Roku brought back for him. He turned his attention back to the bright scarlet dragon just when it flew upwards with its jaws wide open. Roku chucked because surely the foolish dragon wouldn’t think of trying to grasp the celestial sun, not when he had acted all proud and mature in front of Roku while boasting of not being as arrogant as the dragons of his youth. He watched as the red ribbon curled in an upward spiral towards the sun until it could not keep on ascending and let out a stream of beautiful colored flames.</p><p>The old spirit shook his head as the dragon shot towards the ground with its snout locked on a clearing up ahead. He pushed the thoughts of his dragon away and focused on why he was here. His spirit had been summoned from the holdings of souls deep within the realm because Aang was here. He looked around and couldn’t catch sight of any golden garment or any shiny heads. He wondered wh- BAMM! The trees swayed and trembled as a large force slammed into the ground. He could see creatures rapidly abandoning their homes to get away from whatever landed in that clearing.</p><p>He scoffed and headed towards the clearing with a great scolding formulating in his brain. As he laid his eyes on the dragon in the clearing he raised his pointer finger and prepared to scold the actions of his unruly dragon, he halted and stared at a smaller dragon. This was not Fang. His eyes widened and the dragon screamed and seemed to retract into itself. It writhed and agonized on the ground. The scales seemed to stretch and contract, smoothing out and lightening in color until it reached a shade resembling sunburned skin. Shifting his eyes away from the skin of what now appear to be arms, his eyes widen as he recognized the battered, bloodied, and mangled body of the boy he was supposed to be searching for.</p><p>=</p><p>Aang looks upwards towards an unfinished roof and lets out a sigh of relief as he makes the day out to be only a few hours after his last conscious thought. The reminder of old agonizing pain allowed him to relish being in a healed body that felt lighter than it did before. He sat up and surveyed the room relishing in the simple and natural decorations that hung in the cottage.  It reminded him of his room back in the Southern Air Temple. The door swung open and Roku walked in and set down a basin of water on a side table near the entrance. He gave a look once over and handed him a rag. “ It would do you well to at least wash the blood off your face before you head back, “ he remarked. Aang shrugged, blood or no blood on his face wouldn’t matter when his clothes were soaked through. </p><p>	He started towards the basin and tried to clean himself off as quickly as possible. He heard the creaking of wood as Roku sat down on a stool next to the table.” You found the Sun Warriors?” his gaze bore into Aang’s head as he stared at the blood particles that swirled in the rippling water. Aang debated whether he should explain himself and reveal to Roku about the dragons. The chieftain had warned him not to tell anyone however, Roku was dead and came from an era where dragons were plentiful, surely it wouldn’t be a surprise… it's not like he could do anything anyways. He gave a quick nod and Roku handed him a larger tower to dry himself off. “ You must have been with someone else as well seeing as you’ve been branded with a mark. Aang stilled and turned to face Roku, “ Marked? You mean the pain in my back?“ he asked. Roku nodded and led Aang out of the cottage and towards the forest. They quickly reached a clearing that held a large obsidian slab. Aang’s mind whirled as he wondered what the slab could have to do with this mark that Roku was talking about. </p><p>	Roku gave Aang a bronze mirror and directed him to face his back towards the slab so he could see its reflection in the bronze mirror. Aang’s gaze melted when he was a stunning ruby dragon carved around his tattoos. This must be where that joy and power came from, it must be what the pain feared, causing it to run away leaving Aang in gleeful bliss. He turned towards Roku and noted his gentle smile. “ Roku… “ he started “ Its an old fire nation legend that mothers told their young children” Roku interrupted. “The myth speaks of the dragons and their great power derived from the sun. Many firebenders would journey to meet them and learn from the prophets of the sun. Only those who were strong of heart, wise of soul and elite in ancestry could be deemed worthy by the great Dragon Clan. It goes on to mention other methods to gain their favor but those who went intending to go through with those methods never returned.”</p><p>	Aang stared at Roku and clear his throat, “ I, well- Zuko and I danced with them.” he started trailing off hoping Roku would understand. “ and it seems you’re still alive seeing as you entered the spirit world with your physical body” Roku picked up. “ I don’t know more of the myth beyond what I’ve already stated, however, I have heard of bonds strong enough to share and increase power. Granted it came from a hobbling old man who went crazy after visiting some dragons himself when he was younger. I’d like to believe there is reason to find some truth in his babbling.” he continued. Aang’s eyes widened and his face collapsed into a frown almost instantly, “Zuko didn’t show any sort of distress or pain when we were walking back from the ceremony, not as I did.” </p><p>	Roku closed his eyes and sat down in a sort of meditative position which Aang quickly followed. He stilled his nerves and tuned into the sounds of the spirit world, letting it bring him back into his memories of earlier that day. It must have been a few hours when Roku spoke up again as the sun had begun to set, “ Maybe, since Zuko is a firebender, the mark went on easier than yours? The dragons are the original source of firebending, and his direct bloodline and ancestry did have a strong affinity for firebending.” Roku shook his head, “ I cannot see any other reason except that he is exceptionally adept at ignoring pain and his body’s warnings, none the less I assume this was the issue that brought you here, meaning it’ll be time for you to go before the physical world begins to miss your presence.”</p><p>	Aang nodded and gracefully got to his feet, he yelped as his legs collapsed beneath him, not used to movement after being in a rigid position for hours. He bowed to Roku and waved goodbye before setting off on his own into the dark forest.</p><p>=</p><p>After a short while of wandering through the forest and crossing by the same cleaning with the meditating bullfrog many times, Aang decided he was absolutely lost. He took a page out of the bullfrog’s guide and sank into a meditative stance. He focused on the spirit world and his connection to it. He could feel the air brushing by the leaves of the white jade bush near him, he could hear the screams of angry chicks asking for food a tree over. He branched out of his own connection with the world around him, he was connected to the spirit world, the plants, the animals, the water in the plants and animals, and the air. Oh, how it filled him and everything around him, how it circled the bodies of each creature around him. He was connected to everything around him, everything was connected to him, and everything that could have ever existed was all connected. </p><p>	His eyes widened and he knew. He knew exactly where he was and he knew exactly where he needed to go. </p><p>	Like a northern star that would guide sailors north, the forest itself molded into the path Aang needed to take. He walked slack faced past the home of Koh and stared in disbelief as he stood behind the meditating monkey in front of the portal home. He turned to face the forest and bowed in respect. His stomach flipped at the prospect of facing Katara… guilt crawled into his gut as he recalled how frightened she was while he was transforming. His mind cleared as he settled on the tasks he needed to get done, he had to find Zuko and see if he also bore the mark of the dragons. </p><p>	He stepped into the portal, his vision flashed white and as quickly as his vision returned, Aang found himself freefalling once again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Freedom! Sweet, Sweet Freedom! At least until Monday and I begin my summer assignments... They shouldn't be too bad and I should have plenty of time to write! Online learning is a pain especially for classes that shouldn't deserve to be brought over. If I have to write another paragraph on kettlebells, their techniques, and Jeff Martone... I might literally combust.  Thank you for the Kudos and the comments. They mean a lot to me. 💙</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Of Time and Farewells</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Quite honestly, Katara was shocked at the sudden compatibility Zuko and Aang had during the last attempt to flee from fire nation troops. Like usual, Aang seemed to dance around the soldiers, however this time, Zuko seemed to be right where the tumbling soldier would end up after Aang threw them off course. Whenever Aang ducked, Zuko punched right above him effectively making them a well-oiled machine. </p><p>While Katara still could not sit near Zuko, she didn't mind not having to heal as much after battles and the somewhat peaceful ambiance that fell over the traveling group. She did still find it odd however when that compatibility slowly trickled its way outside of the dangerous battles. She watched it happen during Aang’s training with the fire bender a bit ago. She stared on enraptured as the two battled it out with harsh flames and straight kicks. The difference this time? It was smooth, almost too smooth. It almost seemed like a rehearsed dance between two snakes. One snaps forward, the other snaps back. </p><p>They both seemed normal, with Aang still holding that bright smile and jubilant tone the majority of the time and Zuko who still seemed to fit out like a sore thumb. He had always been so awkward. Everything was harmonious, yet why did Katara feel so put off by the two boys? Their presence irked her and pinched at her gut yet she could do nothing but stare at them trying to figure what else was different. </p><p>After settling down in a cave for the evening, Katara decided that it must have had something to do with Zuko and Aang’s adventure over at the sun temples. She shuddered to think of the giant gaping hole in her memory of that day, all it did was cause her headaches. She just shook her head and dropped it. If she hadn’t found out what it was by then, a few weeks after the incident, then she should just drop it. Then they started cooking in sync…</p><p>It was Aang’s turn to provide the evening meal for the day, and during his preparations somehow Zuko managed to jump in and keep up with Aang’s flurry of movements and odd cutting technique. The rest of the gang stared in shock as the normally offbeat manner of cooking suitable for flighty airbenders was made into another sort of dance. Of course, dinner was delicious that evening… and every following evening that charged either Aang or Zuko with cooking. </p><p>=</p><p>Aang never did get around to confronting Zuko about the long mark down his back. It was mostly because Zuko himself did not have a spirling mark down his own back, an accidental peek at the river confirmed it. Aang did however get to apologize to Katara about the incident after his trip with Zuko, She had waved it off and Aang sought to repay her for the fright but she assured him that she needed no recompense for healing him, which he thought odd. He dropped the subject nonetheless and chose to focus on his training. </p><p>It was during a battle with fire nation soldiers that Aang managed to see the effects of the mark first hand. He siphoned bit after bit of the raw energy that he had managed to lock up behind a spiritual dam, however, nothing prepared him for the absolute ecstasy that would come with fighting alongside Zuko. It felt almost as if he were falling from great heights once more, full of joy and elation and anticipation towards riding on wind currents. Together they managed to incapacitate the group of soldiers and leave relatively unharmed. Aang believed however that it must have been the effects of the extra magic which reinforced his body.</p><p>As day surrendered tonight, Aang pulled away from the group and attempted to enter a meditative state. Just like the ever-elusive Avatar state, his dragon form seemed to be just our of his reach. As minutes went by Aang seemed to be more and more still. He channeled his energies through his meridians and like the many other times he searched for it, he found no sign of the foreign energies that encased his energies during battle. He toyed with the idea of entering the spirit realm once more but one quick look towards the sun reminded him of his quickly approaching water bending lesson.  </p><p>He guided the soft air currents around him to help him up and in a moment of enlightenment sank right back into his meditative position. Aang extended his energies outwards and asked the forest to guide him to his group as the spiritual forest had. With a tight pull to his gut, he stood and followed the swaying trees.</p><p>=</p><p>Time stops for no man, and it certainly would not stop for the illustrious Avatar. </p><p>Aang wondered when the elements stopped being just instruments meant to be bent and when they became core parts of his soul. The air and earth around him swirled and cried of their readiness to support his whims while the water simply greeted him like old friends. </p><p>The wind rustled by Aang, whispering tales of the approaching Phoenix King, who had exiled and scarred his son and left his daughter to toil within her own madness. After so many months of anxiety and restlessness, Aang needed stability. So he sank into an earthbending stance. </p><p>After blocking Fire Lord Ozai’s flames a few times, Aang realized there could truly be no other opposite to his flames. Not when the Fire Lord’s flames reeked of hatred and superfluous anger. Not when Aang himself had felt heat and power beyond a thousand suns in a being so different from the man in front of him. Not when Aang had seen a true fire, the flames of a dragon. </p><p>Aang thought he had experienced true pain before, but nothing could have ever prepared him for when the mark moved. Not even the Avatar state could drown out the pain of the deep gashes in the trails left behind by the mark. He felt his mouth move and his throat rumble out the crimes of the man in front of him yet he could not for the life of him truly feel his conscious effort to take those actions. </p><p>Only when the azure world that took up Aang’s vision turned a bright scarlet red did the Mark lend Aang its power and feelings of ecstasy and peace. At least it had the decency to crawl back to its original spot as Aang wrapped the remaining tatters of his top around his torso to wrap the bleeding wounds and hide the mark. </p><p>and for a second, Aang took pride and glee before relief, just to be happy in seeing the tormentor of his friend defeated… only until the relief of having his original goal completed. It wouldn’t matter much anyways. Soon a new Fire Lord would take his place and team avatar would go their separate ways.</p><p>=</p><p>Aang stared out onto a sea of endless flashing lights and desperately tried to ignore those horrible worms in his stomach. A gentle squeeze of his hand and a reassuring warmth that had kept with him since their meeting with the masters left him calm. He helped build up this city to where it was today, and it was his duty as the Avatar to keep it and the rest of the world as it should have been, in balance. </p><p>He took a few steps forward and stood behind the podium where Sokka and Zuko had stood before him. His hand found Toph’s and his eyes stared forward into the lenses of the cameras below. With the somber voice of a newly recruited Chief of Police, she repeated the same phrase she had uttered twice before him with new additions to befit the person beside her.</p><p>“ Do you Avatar Aang, promise to maintain the peace within Republic City? To protect its citizens and uphold your position as the bridge between the nations and the spirit realm? Do you swear to be a paragon to the citizens of this great city and lead us to a new era?”</p><p>Aang took a deep breath and uttered the two words with as much confidence as the warmth radiating mark on his back allowed him.</p><p>“I do”</p><p>=</p><p>As Republic City grew, so did Aang’s time at his office. Katara and the children understood, of course, however that didn’t turn the guilt away from being so far from them. For the most part, taking charge of the city he had created with his companions was simple and straight to the point. Of course, he had two of his greatest companions by his side on the council, one of which he shared an extensive rapport. </p><p>For as much as Aang had tried to steer clear of the Fire Lord, the curving mark down his back warmed up ever so little wherever they stayed up discussing city defenses and further construction projects on the northern expand of land that would be handed over by the Earth King. No matter how much the mark and his stomach fluttered whenever Zuko arrived at his same conclusion would Aang ever acknowledge it. After all… he was a married man and it was Airbender nature to whirl around his problems. Though he wondered if the mark might follow him into another life.</p><p>A few knocks on the door frame snapped him out of his ponderings as the man of his thoughts walked in with a bag in hand. Anng offered him a smile and a seat as Zuko took out a tea set with what smelled like jasmine. Aang wondered when midnight tea and very late dinners with Zuko had become such a natural occurrence, he also wondered what Zuko had brought to him on his turn to bring dinner. </p><p>Putting a few bags of Fire Flakes aside Aang reached inside and pulled out a couple of containers filled with dumplings. “The ones with the orange sauce inside are yours” Zuko commented while he poured two cups of the tea. He hastily warmed up the two containers with a swift jet of flames underneath the ceramic containers and opened them. Aang took his dumplings and steadily ignored the curl of the dragon on his back as he bit into spicy vegetable filled dumplings. He took his cup of tea, a bag of fire flakes, and mentally prepared himself for a long night of paperwork. </p><p>=</p><p>No matter how insistent time had been on moving forward, it has always been kind to Aang. He managed to outlive the Air Nation by running, and only time had led to his timely arrival to end the hundred-year war. Despite having existed for over 166 years, he still felt as if it was not enough. However so, as he laid upon his deathbed surrounded by his wife and companions he felt relief and comfort. He had passed on his traditions and culture, he had risen a city and maintained peace within the world. He kept to his oaths, to the world and his family, and he felt confident in his successors.</p><p>Time would catch up always to those who run… even if fate had it written down that one had to run, it always came to collect on interest.</p><p>The long mark surrounding his tattoos warmed and pulsed with power and grief. The hope that it would follow him onto his next life amplified by the atmosphere created by his greatest friends. There would be the next time, may they meet again in the spirit realm. With that final thought, Aang slipped away peacefully, surrounded by those he cared about.  </p><p>Time would just keep ongoing.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Apologies for the late chapter... I hope to establish a stable writing and uploading schedule as soon as I can!</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Of New Beginnings and Two for one deals</h2></a>
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    <p>Once, twice, thrice. The world around Aang shook and crumbled as the realm of Avatars slowly dissolved around him. Each slam of Korra’s body on the ground corresponded to the terrible shaking happening all around. Just like the nightmares that had plagued him decades before when he first came out of that iceberg, all of the spirits that had guided him and encouraged him to keep breaching the block between himself and Korra simply vanished as their pocket in the spirit realm collapsed. </p><p>After acclimating to decades of peace in his quaint cottage and the silence that followed him where cries of his charge should have been, Aang could only hope to live up to his tacked-on reputation of being impulsive in times of peril. The slimy egg sensation that slid down his back only worsened as the nameless light that lived within the Avatar slipped away from him. He grasped at the fading cord that marked his right as the guiding spirit of the current avatar. He couldn’t just let her go not when he could make things right again.</p><p>The already thin and taut cord that connected him and Korra only shuddered under his will and bent to his yearnings as he poured himself into her. Nothing could have prepared him for the bright light of a shattering primordial spirit. Nothing could have prepared him for the sudden grieving loss of his identity and strength.</p><p>=</p><p>Aang was no stranger to pain. His closest companions were grief and anguish after. Each day they took turns deciding who should slip into his mind and corrupt his cherished moments with his family. There could be no pain, grief, nor anguish that could ever hold a candle to the sudden loss of his being, however. He knew no last Airbender, no father of three, no husband of Katara, nor companion of Toph. He was an avatar with no bending and a stranger with no purpose. He only knew of a man consumed by the loss of who he was and of his soul. </p><p>He was simply a boy who never wanted to be the Avatar. </p><p>When the emotional suffering of being ripped apart by a primeval force diminished. All that remained was the husk of a being who stood at the top and only managed to find himself at the bottom. It was only when there could be no more grief, no more anguish that one could truly find themselves begging for change. Thus so, Aang cried out into the abyss, distressed by the hole he found within himself. Where was it? Where was the change that he had supposedly opened himself up for once before, where was it now that he found himself lost within the bottoms of the void? Where was the change that he had preached to those who would listen?</p><p>It was quite simple really. </p><p>There could have been nothing more to it. The mark on his back stretched and curled itself around Aang. His sobs grew as the mark seared itself into his arms and legs. It overtook his eyes and entered into his soul. His blood boiled and ran down his chest as the inky blackness overtook his eyes. Surely after the indefinite emotional suffering and the physical destruction of his spiritual being, Aang could finally rest. </p><p>=</p><p>Lightning announced his arrival. Aang fell to his knees as his legs failed to support his weight. The figure that just jumped out of the window must have been a trick of the light. The familiar room in which he himself had dwelled in surely must have been a coincidence. The note in his handwriting he found on the bed however could not have been anything but the truth. Not when Aang crumpled the very letter in his hand and not when he let out another silent screech in grief. He could only hope it was his reality.</p><p>Aang was back at the beginning. He knew he had been offered a chance to save his people and to offer a different life to his friends. He could save Katara’s mother, and bring peace to Zuko’s kingdom. Aang could only prepare for the future while it was fresh on his mind. There could be no time to lose. Not when there was so much to be done. With the grace of a man who often made it a point to exit through the window, Aang jumped out of his window only to remember he did not have his glider on him. </p><p>=</p><p>After an unpleasant fall and conversation with the elder monks, Aang found himself in the infirmary. There was little that Aang could not change. He knew he had to maintain the Fire Nation hierarchy so that Zuko could be born. He understood that there had to be some way to prevent the hostile takeover of Earth Kingdom territory. The only problem that managed to surface to his mind was simply the fleeing being that he had seen and categorized as a mirage. It was as if all of his plans came to a screeching halt. </p><p>There was no way he could completely end the war anymore. He also could not take up the position of Avatar in this world. Not when there already was one, albeit an unwilling one. Aang looked around the empty infirmary with growing grief. He couldn’t bear to lose his people again, to go through the same mourning and pain he had when he was younger. Unless… </p><p>Aang shot up off the bed and made his way out of the infirmary. First things first he had to arm himself with a new glider. He sped through familiar roads and circled his way around the central dormitories and into the armory. It held all of the gliders from past generations that were handed down to new airbenders. He had remembered seeing the building in the worst shape compared to the other structures in the Airbender Temple. He remembered his first glider and the beckoning he felt in his gut as it led him to a simple glider with no fancy decorations. It was stiff and only had the simple engraving of the Air Nomads near the top.</p><p>“Aang?” called out a voice behind him. He whirled around startled by the sudden noise in what was his mostly silent musing. The faces in front of him were definitely familiar. They were his… friends? No, they were just his companions from before he obtained his tattoos. There was an itch in the back of his neck he just couldn't help reaching for as he smiled and waved hello. </p><p>“Hey guys!” he trailed off realizing now what the itch was. Aang couldn’t remember what their names were. It then hit him just how long it had been since he had walked through the halls of an air temple inhabited by Airbenders. He had managed to live for about two decades more than his lifespan of 54 years in spirit form and then he tacked on the 100 years he had spent in the iceberg. His smile froze and became overly stiff as he mentally calculated about 2 centuries since he had last spoken to these people. </p><p>The eyes of the kids in front of him narrowed and Aang offered up an awkward grin that was probably a bit better than the one had on a second ago. The leader of the group, raised an eyebrow, “Well..?” he asked. “Well, what?” responded Aang quickly. A flush made its way up the other Airbender's neck. “ I had asked what you were doing in the armory” he grumbled. Aang could feel the flush rising up the neck and reaching his ears as he realized he had spaced out. Darn, he would have thought that daydreaming while speaking with the Republic City board and the ambassadors from the other nations would have taught him better than that but simply, Aang had never gotten caught before.</p><p>“I lost my glider” he offered up catching the disbelief that flittered through the eyes of the group. The Airbender tsked his tongue and pointed towards a small kid in the back. “ Pasen landed on his glider during the last lesson and shattered his” he proclaimed. The kid called Pasen groaned and held his head in one hand while he held up the pieces of the glider. Aang nodded, while it hadn’t happened to him while had been training he had witnessed it many times and he had witnessed Tenzin shatter his glider on many occasions. Tenzin- Aang’s heart shuddered as he thought of his son and the weight he left upon his shoulders. Aang had seen through Korra all that he had left his son with and everything Tenzin had managed to build up. He calmed his heart and turned towards the meditating square that was raised above clearly meant to capture the beams of light from the sun. </p><p>He bid his goodbye to the group and climbed up the stairs with ease. His legs curled up into a lotus position as Aang intuitively relaxed into the spirit realm. His spirit stepped away from his physical body and flew around testing out each of the aurae within every glider. It had been a while since he last chose a glider for its aura and not its functionality and while that had spoiled him with midflight snacks he was giddy at the prospect of feeling the same sense of pride in tradition that hand engraved gliders provided. Aang felt one more pang of remorse at not creating his own glider and embedding it with some of his aura when he could have back in the mortal realm to leave behind but quickly chided himself. After all, with how convenient the gliders had become during the age of Air Island, his son would probably lead the revolution of a new method of flight altogether. </p><p>Aang quickly settled into a groove as he sent out a probe to each glider, offering it his undivided attention ad loyalty, then moving on as they rejected him. He wondered if the time he spent away made him that much different from the other air nomads. Just how different could he have become without his culture to keep him well molded? Aang shook his head and continued to search. After searching through all of the racks within the large circular room, Aang began to circle back to the beginning and made his way to a rack in the back, filled with gliders similar to his original one. After peering at all of them for a while stuck on which one gave him a better response, Pasen suddenly barreled through him and Aang felt himself slip through the wall and into another chamber within the wall. Hanging on a rack were three intricately carved gliders.  He felt them all tug on his spirit and he let out a great yelp. “Flameo Hotman!” he shouted grinning widely as he made his way back to his body. He rose from his position on the square and briskly walked towards the section in the back. He began scanning the wall for any sign of a button or lever in order to move the section of the wall. After no success in finding any sort of physical catalyst for moving the wall, Aang turned around to survey the area and make sure there weren't any others in the vicinity. After Pasen found his glider the rest of the group didn’t wait up. Aang took in a deep breath and guided the air around him to be as thin as possible.</p><p>He guided it up and around the entire section of the wall he had felt the rack in and pushed it into any cracks or holes in the wall that could lead to the other side. He let out a gasp as a strand went particularly deep into the wall far deeper than the actual rack was. He focused entirely on that breeze and guided the rest towards it to reinforce it. He struggled to keep his vision clear as he maintained the stillness in the air and the thinness of the air around him in order to focus completely on the journeying strand in the wall. Only when his vision began to dim and his head felt fuzzy did the strand reach the end and the wall slid open. He relinquished his hold on the air around the wall and heaved in the fresh air. He let out a goofy smile and began to study the gliders that radiated approval. In the end, his eyes gravitated towards the glider engraved with a dragon. It reminded him of the dancing masters he and Zuko had gone to see for as Toph had called it, their life-changing field trip. The glider was warm to the touch and he instantly knew why it called to him. As quickly as the vision of pounding fists and colored flames passed, Aang could help but fondly smile as he held the glider that used to belong to Roku. Aang wondered if he would have liked the design on the glider. It did become one of the hidden symbols of the Fire Nation once Zuko became the Fire Lord. Aang snorted as his mind wandered towards the thought process that maybe, just maybe, it looked similar to the mark he bore on his back. </p><p>A chill went down his neck as he quickly stretched his arm to feel where his tattoos outlined the flow of chi. He began feeling around his back more anxiously as he felt unblemished skin. The glider warmed in his hand and Aang began to calm down, maybe the mark flattened out once he came back? Maybe it just moved to a different location to prevent its discovery. The closing of the wall jolted him back out of his thoughts. His eyes softened as he caught sight of the twirling dragon engraved on the glider, warm and smooth right down to each scale and whisker. He set his course and took off towards the dormitories and prepared to spend the night in the place he had called home about 2 centuries ago. He nodded his head and prepared for the greatest adventure he would face yet. As he entered his room and reclined the glider on the wall nearest his bed like he had hundreds of times before, he settled in relieved at the half-formed plan he had in mind and prepared to hammer out the finer details.</p><p>=</p><p>Aang awoke well before the sun had risen as he had formed into a habit early on during the war. He stretched and searched for the crumpled letter he had stuffed into his pillow a lifetime ago. He smoothed it out with fondness in his eyes as he recounted his steps and prepared for another life-changing field trip, except it couldn’t possibly be a life-changing field trip if Zuko wasn’t around to torment but nonetheless, it would be definitely life-changing. He took out his new finer robe and donned it proudly. It was, after all, the official version of the outfit he had donned for his battle with the Fire Lord. He stared at the red belt that cinched in his waist and felt mild regret that it wasn’t the headband he had obtained in that Fire nation Village. Maybe he would stop for one on the way. </p><p>With a small smirk, he jumped out of the window with practiced ease and settled into a steady rhythm of flight. There were winds of change under the wings of his glider. Aang would protect his people, and he would protect his friends even if they had yet to be born. As if in agreement with his thoughts, the sun peaked over the clouds and illuminated his way.</p>
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